Don’t write us off warns Bantams chief Parkinson

For the first time since 1911, the Bantams are in the hat for the last four after being held to a goalless draw by Championship side Reading at a sold out Valley Parade.

The two teams must meet again a week tonight in a quarter-final replay to decide who goes through and Parkinson is adamant that City can take on his old club in confident mood.

He said: “People will look at it and suggest the home game was our best chance of progressing and that Reading have done the hard part of the job.

“But I don’t necessarily agree. Reading did well and I have to give (manager) Steve Clarke credit for how they set up.

“They had clearly learned from our fifth round win over Sunderland and Steve came to make it as difficult as possible for us.

“But things will be different down there in the replay. The onus will definitely be on Reading. They will have to open up and that could suit us.

“For the first time since 1911, Bradford City are in the draw for an FA Cup semi-final. Once the draw is made, it will add to things again.”

City’s goalless draw with Reading means they both go into tonight’s semi-final draw, which is due to take place after Manchester United play Arsenal.

As has been the case since beating Chelsea in the fourth round, Parkinson’s men will be the lowest-ranked side. They are also likely to be the busiest over the coming week, with tomorrow night’s League One game at Coventry City being followed by a trip to Notts County on Saturday.

Two days later, Bradford must take on Reading in a replay with the scheduling dictated by UEFA banning any domestic fixture of note taking place on the same night as a Champions League tie.

The same rule last season led to Hull City having to host Brighton & Hove Albion in a fifth round replay a little over 48 hours after playing in the Premier League.

For Parkinson, whose side has played nine times in just 28 days, the quick turnaround is especially harsh. He said: “When I heard prior to the home tie, I didn’t start thinking about a replay. But I did question it and asked if we could move the Notts County game to the Friday night.

“They refused. We will, though, ask the question of Notts County again. We will go back to them because we want to give ourselves every chance in both of them.

“I would like to think common sense will prevail somewhere along the line. Our players have the chance to go down in the history books of Bradford City.”

On the reasoning behind the Bantams having to travel to Reading a week tonight, Parkinson added: “The replay having to be on the Monday because of the Champions League is a little bit disrespectful to the FA Cup and the magnitude of this game.

“You saw on Saturday that the game meant as much to Reading as it did Bradford. It was Reading’s biggest away following in 10 years, when they played Arsenal.

“So, for both of us this is a big prize. It is a history-making game. To have to play it to so quickly is frustrating. But that is what we have to do.”

City, whose scheduled league trip to Scunthorpe on March 17 has been postponed, are facing a gruelling schedule but the League One outfit will still travel hopeful of causing another Cup upset.

Not only have all three of Reading’s previous Cup wins this term come on the road at Huddersfield, Cardiff and Derby but they have also won just one of five league games at the Madejski since the turn of the year.

Speaking about Saturday’s goalless stalemate, Parkinson added: “I was very pleased with how we played.

“It was a very different game to Sunderland (in the fifth round), which was open from the start. This was more scrappy.

“There was a real commitment out there. There was so much honesty out there, with good old-fashioned tackles flying in. That happened all over the pitch.

“We had to be very professional and very patient. We didn’t quite have that little bit of magic in and around the box but we are alive in the competition.”

The Valley Parade pitch cut up badly and caused problems for both sides. Parkinson added: “The pitch is slightly better down at Reading but it is still not great. I went recently.

“Reading probably played well at our place because they were used to the pitch down there. To be fair to Steve, he never made an issue of the pitch and that was a smart move. You don’t want to put it in your players’ minds.”

Match report and 
reaction: Page 3.